Pak-US Strategic Dialogue

As interlocutors of the third round of the Pak-US Strategic Dialogue highlighted salient points of the five-year (2012-2016) $2 billion military aid package in Washington, Prime Minister Gilani was telling reporters in Islamabad on Friday that the deal is "less than what we have already spent".
A rather unsavoury comment made a little ahead of time, the prime minister could have waited to hear the reports first hand from the ministers who had flocked to the United States. Perhaps, it was Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar's reported comment that the prices of the old F-16s and Cobra helicopters were raised beyond the purchasing power of Pakistan that had instigated the prime minister to make such a comment. The feeling persists, both in the public and private circles, that Pakistan's immense sacrifices in the war against terrorism remain largely unrecognised and unrewarded.
But even otherwise, the atmospherics that surrounded the Dialogue were not very propitious - with the New York Times disclosing that at least six units of the Pak Army would not be allowed to benefit from the aid package, for the US intends to cut off aid to about half a dozen units that are 'believed to have killed civilians and unarmed prisoners during the anti-Taliban offensives'. Given that Pakistan military is already investigating the alleged killing of six blindfolded men shown in a controversial footage - and in 1990s had set an example by delivering the severest possible punishment to an erring group of soldiers for their criminal involvement in a case at Tando Adam - such a controversial caveat, if incorporated in the deal, is unacceptable.
How about fixing guilt for the scores of deaths of innocent people caused by the CIA-operated drone attacks in Pakistan's tribal areas? What punishments were delivered to the American servicemen (and women), who mistreated and humiliated the Iraqi prisoners?
That Foreign Minister Qureshi had to get emotional to prove Pakistan's deep, unfaltering commitment to fight terrorism, was not necessary. A firm, quietly uttered 'enough is enough' could have served better in conveying to the people in the United States that Pakistan has paid a much higher price in this so-called expedition against terrorism. Consider the quantum of what Pakistan has done since 9/11 - 30,000 civilians and 7,000 soldiers and policemen killed and economic losses worth 40 billion dollars suffered.
The war has caused Pakistan much more than to the entire US-led coalition in Afghanistan. In the eyes of an average Pakistani this is an extremely unpopular partnership. Add to this, the United States's act of cold shouldering Pakistan's proposals for co-operation in civilian nuclear power generation and a mediatory role in Kashmir dispute and you find the word 'strategic' willingly dropped from the rubric 'Pak-US Strategic Dialogue'.
How far Pakistan's concerns regarding volatile situation on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border are met, we would wait to see. Only the coming weeks and months will show how much of these concerns have been looked into and rectified by its allies. For instance, Pakistan is opposed to launching a military operation in North Waziristan until other areas where operations were carried out, or at present are in progress, settle down.
Then it would like the US-led Nato forces to respect its airspace, as another incursion of its airspace can really bring down the entire structure of mutual trust and co-operation that the two sides have built over the decade-long alliance against terrorism.
Pakistan is also a natural part of the peace process in Afghanistan. Any move to keep it out of it or to belittle its role would be counterproductive. At the same time, the detectable anxiety on the part of the Coalition to 'introduce' India in Afghanistan will provoke distrust, anger and annoyance and negatively impact Pakistan's commitment. Now that it's the endgame in Afghanistan, the United States has to keep its partner in the Strategic Dialogue on its side - to ensure that the withdrawal doesn't leave behind a power vacuum, with potential to breed another bloody civil war. Only Pakistan has the desired clout, potential and wherewithal to trigger the multi-party Afghan reconciliation process.